


I Don't Smell Like Anything (Pt 2)

by Seachelle623



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Eventual Romance, Florist Lee Jeno, Fluff and Angst, Hi be nice please, I'll try to meet everyone's expectations, It's picks up from where the original story left off, Lee Jeno is Whipped, Love Triangles, M/M, Marking, Mating Bond, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Pt 2, Scent Marking, The summary makes it seem sad but I swear it won't be that sad, What's new, Wolf Pack, Yeah those are the original tags lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-07-08 20:41:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15937889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seachelle623/pseuds/Seachelle623
Summary: "So you're a wolf.""Yeah.""And you're telling me that I'm your mate?""Well...that's what I think anyway...is there anything wrong with that?"Jeno felt his heart sink at the way that Jaemin lowered his gaze to the floor."There is because I don't think I see you in that way.""A simple 'no' would have been enough, Jeno. I get it, you hate me for saving the love of your life.""Jaemin, why would I hate-"And just like that, Jaemin was out the door and roaming around the streets without him.





	1. We're Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> I've been given permission to finish this story so...please be nice to me! I will do my best to give you all something that will pick up from where the original story left off! Also, the next chapter is literally the second after the original's last chapter so go ahead and read that one first if you haven't already. Link is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201679/chapters/32836977
> 
> So um...yeah, I hope you all enjoy~!

“When will I get to see him?”

 

He watched as Jaemin takes a deep breath before exchanging a look with Jisung who had just entered the room after carrying Chenle away to rest. Just as he was about to speak, the door to the room flew open and a man who was not that much older than himself entered as if he owned the place, not even bothering to spare a glance at him.

 

“Na Jaemin!” He heard the intruder shout, watching as the intruder raised his hand to pull Jaemin closer to him by the back of his neck and forcing Jaemin’s nose into his shoulder. “You should have told me that you were coming here!”

“Hyung! Can’t breathe!” He heard Jaemin protest as he stared at them in confusion, glancing over at Jisung who shrugged in response. Sighing, the intruder let go of Jaemin and finally faced him - the high cheekbones and kind eyes that he had seen in Jaemin’s memories that belonged to-

“Mark.” He found himself whispering as echoes of _‘it’s not him, isn’t it?’_ resound through his skull along with howls of wolves at night. The other - Mark - simply raises an eyebrow at him.

“Is this him?” Mark asked Jaemin, not even bothering to take his eyes off Jeno as he sweats profusely under the older’s gaze.

“Yeah. He wants to see Renjun,” Jaemin replied, swallowing as his eyes slid over to him for a brief second before looking away. “When do you think Renjun will be well enough for him to?”

“A week at most. Hyuck said that he’s pretty weak so we’re going to have to guard him more closely,” Mark informed as Jisung coughed, pointing towards the door.

“One of them passed out because Jaemin-hyung sucks at controlling which memories to show,” Jisung reported, lowering his hand as Mark gave Jaemin a dead stare, the latter chuckling shyly under his gaze. “I think he needs help.”

“I guess we might as well take the whole gang there,” Mark sighed out, shaking his head before he flicked Jaemin’s forehead lightly. “I _knew_ that you were going to stir this much trouble the minute you smelled something.”

“I’m _sorry_ for wanting to find my mate!” He heard Jaemin shout, the younger pouting adorably at the end as Jeno let a smile rest on his lips. “Not everyone can meet a starving omega on the street, you know!”

“Shut up,” Mark mumbled, glaring at Jaemin before nodding to Jisung who scurried off - probably to attend to Chenle. “What’s your name?”

“Lee Jeno,” He replied, surprised that the other wanted to know who he was.

 

“I’m Mark and the leader of our pack,” Mark introduced himself, stepping forward and putting out a hand to offer a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you,” Mark said as he shook the older male’s hand, feeling the other’s grip tighten as something glinted in Mark’s eyes. “If you tell anyone about us, I won’t hesitate to rip you apart.”

“Mark!” He heard Jaemin shout, the younger rushing to disconnect their hands as Jeno noticed that there was probably a bruise already forming. “Don’t worry, we’re safe.”

“We better be,” Jisung stated, tone slightly cold as he glared at Jeno with Chenle resting on his back. “Let’s go home already.”

“You’re not off the hook yet.” He heard Mark whisper to Jaemin who gulped and hung his head low as they walked out with Jeno trailing slowly behind them, not wanting to be a bother.

“Jeno? Why are you so far away?” He heard Jaemin ask him when they exited the building to go on a path to wherever Renjun was. “I’m not going to bite.”

“You’re a _wolf_ ,” He stated as Jaemin sighed and walked closer to him, casually slinging one of his arms across his shoulders and flashing him a bright smile that lit up the streets more than the street lights.

“Yeah but wolves also _protect_ ,” Jaemin replied cheekily, soft smile gracing his lips as Jeno stared in amazement at the younger. “And we’re going to protect all of you, okay?”

“Will Renjun really be alright?” He asked, voice small as the light in Jaemin’s eyes dimmed and his smile faltered.

“He’ll be alright. You don’t have to worry about that,” Jaemin replied, arm sliding off his shoulders before he was walking ahead once more to catch up to Mark - his pack leader, Jeno reminded himself - and discussing something in hushed voices.

 

No matter how hard he tried, Lee Jeno couldn’t walk any faster for if he did…

 

…if he did, he would be in _their_ territory and he didn’t know if he wanted to deal with that just yet.

 

_Just get to Renjun so you know if he’s okay or not and if he isn’t…it’s no one’s fault._


	2. Normality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What the hell were you expecting? A cave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I updated but I am slowly making my way through updating all of my stories right now and editing as fast as I can while I have time so please expect more frequent updates in the near future!!

“Are you kidding me?” Jeno asked as he stared at the door in front of him. He heard Jisung scoff behind him in something akin to amusement.

“What the hell were you expecting? A cave?” The younger asked sarcastically as Mark opened the door to the apartment that was on one of the highest levels of the complex. “How broke do you think we are?”

“Well…the movies always inferred that…”

“The movies are a bunch of shit when it comes to us,” Jaemin piped up, holding the door open for them since Mark had disappeared somewhere inside the apartment. “Come on in.” Warily, he stepped into the house and saw how _normal_ everything looked. There was a hallway that undoubtedly branched off into some bedrooms and a bathroom, an open kitchen that was next to a dining area - separated only by a kitchen counter - and the space in front of him served as the lounge area with multiple gaming consoles and movies littering the coffee table. The shiny plasma TV was currently off and beside some cabinets that had a glass front and displayed numerous plush toys of some random orange character that was probably very popular with teenage girls.

“It’s…normal…” He mumbled, not exactly knowing what he expected to find in a werewolf den. “It’s like you’re all…”

“Human?” Jaemin supplied, appearing suddenly next to him and he saw Jisung disappear into one of the rooms in the hallway behind him. “We _are_ human, you know.”

“But this is…” He trailed off, looking away as he observed the plush toys once more.

“Oh, that’s my Ryan collection!” Jaemin exclaimed happily, bouncing over to the cabinets and tapping the glass. “These guys have been with me for quite some time now and I am _not_ giving them away, no matter what Mark-hyung says!”

“They also take up unnecessary space,” Mark commented from where he was at the entrance of the hallway, Jisung poking his head out from one of the rooms behind him.

“Can you guys be more quiet? The guests are sleeping,” The youngest called out, disappearing into the room once more for a few seconds before exiting into the hallway and closing the door. Jeno noticed that another door was open when Jisung entered a different room, soft words being exchanged with someone else.

“Jeno’s a guest and he’s wide awake.” He heard Jaemin mutter before the other grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the door that Mark was already entering. “Come on, you should see your friend.”

 

He didn’t know exactly what he expected Renjun’s condition to be but it would have probably been something like a hospital bed and IV bags everywhere.

 

Instead, he saw his friend curled up on the bed and hugging his blanket as his pillow lay slightly crumpled on the floor. Next to the bed was a chair that was occupied by a tanned boy around his age, talking to Mark and Jisung who stood in front of a window.

 

“This him?” The tanned boy asked while eyeing him carefully and Jeno found himself shrinking underneath the other’s gaze.

“That’s him,” Jaemin sighed out, letting go of his arm before he went to peer at Renjun’s condition. “How is he?”

“Has a fever but that’s normal,” The tanned boy replied, eyes never leaving Jeno’s face and sharp gaze intimidating him more than it should. “He’ll wake up in a few days. Probably even tomorrow.”

“You sure?” Jisung asked, expression questioning the tanned boy’s words as he glanced at Jeno and back. “You said the same thing about-“

“That was different. I had no experience in that field,” The tanned boy shot back, eyes glaring holes into the younger boy’s skull and causing Jeno to be grateful that he was not on the other side of that look. “But _this_ , Park, we have _plenty_ of experience in.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Jisung mumbled before sighing and walking towards the door. “I’m heading out. I should let the others know what’s up. See you later, hyungs.”

“Be sure to let Felix know about-“ Mark was cut off with Jisung giving him a thumbs up before slamming the door shut. “Ah fuck, he’s not going to let Felix know about this.”

“Will he really be alright?” He found himself asking, eyes quivering as the tanned boy chuckled at him.

“Why are humans always so worried?” He heard the tanned boy ask, accompanied by a smirk. “He’ll be fine. Sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“He didn’t,” Jaemin stated flatly, eyes shooting a sharp look at the tanned boy who placed his hands up in mock surrender and chuckled.

“Sorry, I forgot to ask. Bite me.” _They all seem very…normal._ “What’s your name?”

“Lee Jeno,” He answered, earning a small sound of revelation from the tanned boy who gave a knowing look to Jaemin - Jaemin simply growled in what Jeno interpreted as a warning of some sort.

“Dude chill,” The tanned boy said, slinging his arm around Mark’s neck. “Got one right here. Anyway, sorry about that, Jeno. I’m Donghyuck.”

“It’s nice to meet you t-“

“I’m going to go and grab some food for him to eat when he has his first transformation,” Jaemin interrupted, fingers digging slightly into his skin as the other pulled him up and dragged him out the door despite Mark’s yells of it being too early - a claim that Jaemin responded with the middle finger.

“Where are we going?” He asked once they were out of the apartment complex and roaming the night streets on their own with Jeno desperately trying to keep up with Jaemin’s strides.

“Do you know what we like to eat when we transform?” Jaemin asked him, slowing down to allow him to catch up. Taking a deep breath, Jeno tried to think back to the times where he had met Jaemin in wolf form in that dim alleyway. _I used to bring it in some lame tupperware and it was cooked-_

“Meat,” He said, staring at Jaemin who smiled at him. “I…I gave you cooked meat when I-“

“Yeah but it tastes a bit dull after being cooked to us,” Jaemin replied, giving him a lopsided smirk as he led Jeno down the road that he was sure led to a highway. “You know what doesn’t taste dull?” It took a few minutes and a few metres for Jeno to realise what the other was inferring.

“Oh my _god_ , don’t tell me-“

“Yes, Jeno,” Jaemin interrupted him, grabbing his hand and running towards the stars. “Raw meat! But not just any meat…”

“What do you…oh…oh _no_ …” He let out, trying his best to escape the other’s iron grip as Jaemin laughed at his reaction.

 

_Please, God, don’t let me die tonight._

 

“Raw meat is disgusting. Raw _human_ meat is more disgusting,” He stated, trying his best to make the journey hard by wriggling in Jaemin’s grasp.

“You’re not the one eating it, Jeno,” Jaemin replied softly, loosening his hold when Jeno had given up escaping due to the other’s strength.

“Renjun will throw a fit-“

“Renjun needs raw meat to survive and we’re going to get some,” Jaemin interrupted him, stopping and turning to look at him in the eyes. “Calm down, we only eat those who wanted to die.”

“That doesn’t make it any better, Jaemin!” He shouted before the other was shooting him a bright smile that outshone the moon and the sun combined and dragged him to wherever they were going while Jeno’s heart seemed to be broken.

 

_Actually, God…seeing that smile might be worth it. Key word: MIGHT._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO THANK YOU FOR 50 KUDOS ALREADY!!


	3. Scavenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mark-hyung is the one who is a full breed-“  
> “What’s a full breed?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR ME TO UPDATE T^T I WAS BUSY THESE PAST FEW WEEKS BUT NOW IM BACK! 
> 
> Also, I'm going to slowly explain everything about the wolves through Jeno's conversations with Jaemin because I thought of a better plot than my original while I was drunk off stress and high off sugar ^_^

“Why do I feel like blindly following you to God-knows-where a bad idea?” He questioned, letting himself be dragged by the wrist as Jaemin practically skipped down the deserted streets.

“Jeno, you’re safe with me,” Jaemin replied, stopping momentarily to turn around and smile at him, much to Jeno’s heart’s protest. “But I guess humans really do have a hard time trusting those who are not their race.”

“I don’t even trust myself half the time, it’s not a race thing,” He mumbled as Jaemin chuckled at him, the low notes sounding pleasing just like music.

“What do you want to know?” Jaemin asked him, starting to walk again but much calmer and much slower. “I’ll answer everything I can.”

“Those memories…you weren’t always a…a wolf, were you?” He asked, fingers now toying with the edge of Jaemin’s palm, his movements probably tickling the other. “You were human once, weren’t you?”

“And bingo,” Jaemin answered, a sad smile on his face and the flashes of yellow against the other’s light brown irises weren’t unnoticed. “You saw my memories, you know my sob story.”

“But I don’t know _you_ or your _kind_ ,” He pointed out, hearing Jaemin sigh before frowning. “I think I should know considering how Renjun-“

“In a pack there’s a leader and my leader is Mark-hyung,” Jaemin interrupted and Jeno couldn’t help but sigh slightly in relief at the fact that the other was finally educating him. “Mark-hyung is the one who is a full breed-“

“What’s a full breed?” He asked, ignoring Jaemin’s quirked eyebrow as he stared on in curiosity.

“All wolf, no human past life…it’s self explanatory, Jeno,” Jaemin deadpanned and Jeno did his best to keep his pout as tiny as possible. “Anyway, the rest of us are changed breeds or turned or whatever lingo you use.”

“Do you guys have the whole alpha, beta, omega thing?” He asked, trying to wrack his brains for the numerous times where Chenle would joke around with him by jokingly bringing up the existence of werewolves.

“Yeah, changed breeds - that’s me - get presented roughly a year after they turned and full breeds - that’s Mark-hyung - get presented once they turn of legal age,” Jaemin explained as they walked even more down the roads, coming to a halt at the edge railing of a highway that oddly had no cars. “It’s pretty much what you think, alpha is the leader and the stronger ones of the pack, beta is the second in command and omegas…they’re the followers or healers. That’s why Donghyuck’s taking care of Renjun. He’s really good at helping people become better with all his herbs and plants.”

 

“What do you think Renjun will be?” He couldn’t refrain himself from asking in concern for his friend and wondering why Jaemin’s lips tightened into a line. “Jaemin?”

“Someone’s near,” Jaemin stated, the other’s grip on his wrist tightening as Jeno watched the other stare at the abundance of trees that occupied the other side. “Why are they this near to the city?”

“Jaemin? Who’s near?” He asked, nerves tingling as Jaemin closed his eyes and ignored him, taking the liberty to sniff the air before growling.

“Jeno, I need you to wear this.” He heard Jaemin demand after having taken off his jacket and holding it out towards him. “For your own safety. There’s some wolves from another pack nearby.”

“But I’m human and-“

“That’s exactly why, idiot,” Jaemin interrupted him and Jeno hurriedly put the jacket on, pulling the zipper up quickly and placing the hood on his head just to be sure. “Okay, okay, we’ll be fine. Just…stick near me, okay?”

“Sure,” He agreed before Jaemin jumped over the railing and landed easily on his feet once he had hit the ground - a feat that Jeno was sure would shatter his knees if he had done the same stunt. “Um…Jaemin…I don’t have your body or genes!”

“I’ll catch you!” He heard Jaemin shout back, scoffing in disbelief at Jaemin - scrawny, noodle-for-arms _Jaemin_ \- trying to catch his own build that was anything but small. “Jeno, I have enhanced endurance and strength! It’ll be fine! Trust me!”

“Trust you?” He questioned, shaking his head before placing a hand on the railing. “Fucking hell, you better catch me,” He mumbled to himself before jumping over the railing blindly and closing his eyes while preparing to come into contact with the harsh cold ground.

 

Jeno, indeed, felt someone catch him and was grateful but he didn’t expect to see a face that didn’t belong to the one who had asked him to jump.

 

“Careful, don’t want a pretty face like you dying,” The stranger said before helping him stand upright, the hood slipping off his head and causing jeno to shiver at the intruding cold. “Wait, after rain?”

“Jeno!” He heard Jaemin’s voice shout from behind him, turning around quickly to see Jaemin bolting towards him with a worried expression. “I saw you and I was going to catch you but I slipped down a landslide and-“ Jaemin stopped his rambling when he saw the stranger in front of them, the new person’s eyes flashing a dark red as Jaemin’s flashed a bright yellow. “What are you doing here?” Jaemin’s voice was cold and icy, a million threats hidden underneath the words.

“Na Jaemin.” Jeno glanced between the two, tension rising between them and suffocating everything and anything within three metres of them. “I’m here for a new member’s food. You?”

“Same reason,” Jaemin replied through gritted teeth and Jeno watched him take a step forward towards the stranger. “Get _lost_. This is _our_ territory and that won’t ever change.”

“It’s the border, Na,” The stranger retaliated, his eyes sliding over to Jeno’s form and prompting Jeno to pull the jacket around himself even more in an attempt to be smaller. “I don’t remember you having a personal meat bag.”

“And I don’t remember you ever caring, so get lost,” Jaemin shot back, glare evident and growing harsher with each passing second.

“You’re setting him up for death,” The stranger said before he was taking a step back and folding in on himself, bones cracking under the night sky as fur appeared and all that was left in front of them was a red eyes wolf with a red tinge on its tail. The wolf seemed to send him one more cautious look before running off between the trees and disappearing into the night, Jaemin sighing shortly after.

“Don’t worry, you’re not being set up for death.” He heard Jaemin tell him, the other not having turned or even making an effort to face him. “We are not that kind of people.”

“Then what kind of people are you?” He asked, stepping carefully towards Jaemin and reaching out a hesitant hand before the other moved faster than he had ever seen him move before. Within seconds, Jaemin’s arms were cradling his head and pulling him closer to the other’s chest, a steady heartbeat that seemed to be going too fast resounding in his ears.

“That’s for you to decide, sweetheart.” Jaemin’s voice was soft above his ear, breaths light and full of sincerity that it made Jeno wonder what his expression was at that moment. “You have to make the choice of who is bad or good.”

“Jaemin, which one are you?” He mumbled, bringing his hanging hands to wrap around the other’s waist, enjoying how Jaemin hummed in thought.

“I can be whichever one you want me to be, Jeno,” Jaemin answered much to his confusion before the younger was pulling away and holding his wrist once more. “Let’s get that raw human meat for Renjun.”

“Who was that guy?” The questions never seemed to end for him, his curiosity only growing as he found out more about the world that he had just been thrown into.

 

“He’s from another pack that we’ve got history with.” Nodding, Jeno let himself be dragged along once more as they walked over dead leaves an tree roots. “But you’ll be safe. Mark-hyung’s been civil with them.”

“That doesn’t strike as reassuring…” He commented before the smell of rotting corpses hit his senses and he covered his sensitive nose with his free hand. “God, what is that smell?”

“Happiness in a bundle!” Jaemin exclaimed before walking towards the smell and smiling at the decaying corpse of a girl who seemed to be in her late twenties. There were flies all around her, some holes in her skin where vultures or other scavenger animals had feasted and mould that decorated the edges of her wounds.

“God, that’s nasty,” He let out, looking away to cough as Jaemin rolled his eyes and took out a paper bag and a pocket knife from his back jean pockets.

“God, this is how we _survive_ ,” Jaemin replied, teasing him with a smile before bending down and carving out bits of her flesh from her stomach, breasts and shoulder - the meat being untouched by mould or flies and looking exactly like fresh raw meat before it was being dropped into the paper bag.

“That’s disgusting,” He complained, wincing when Jaemin shoved the knife into her thigh to begin carving out a new piece of meat.

“That’s just life,” Jaemin shot back, shrugging when he wiped the knife off on the leaves beneath them and put it away, closing the bag with a rubber band that had been in his front pocket soon after. “Let’s go.”

“Your race is feral,” He joked, rubbing his nose and hoping that the horrible stench wouldn’t damage any of his senses.

“No, my race is just surviving,” Jaemin replied, sad smile on his lips once more. “It’s your race that’s truly feral.”

 

_What is that even supposed to mean?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND 100+ KUDOS!! 
> 
> Honestly, that means a lot since this story wasn't even something that I started and thank you for continuing to read it even though my writing style is very different from the original author's. 
> 
> Keep smiling, everyone~!


	4. Realisation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My jacket. You’re still wearing it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long...I'll explain more when you finish the chapter in the end note :)

“Jaemin, you know it was still too early,” Mark said in greeting once he entered the apartment behind Jaemin. “That meat is a waste.”

“I couldn’t stand Hyuck being all…Hyuck.” He heard Jaemin say in a half assed response as they were taking off their shoes. “You know what I’m like.”

“Yeah, an alpha despite not being one,” Mark stated bitterly, disappointed look seemingly to be plastered on his face. “I heard you guys bumped into someone.”

“Yeah, the ones on the other side of the border,” Jaemin replied nonchalantly as Mark’s eyes widened and Jeno felt like he was missing out on a very important detail.

“You let _them_ see _him_?!” Mark exclaimed, pointing (quite rudely in Jeno’s opinion) at him as he stared at Jaemin. “Jaemin, are you crazy?! It’s been peaceful for years and now-“

 

“What’s going on?”

 

_Renjun?_

 

All three of them directed their attention to the end of the hallway where Donghyuck stood, Renjun’s left arm around his shoulders as he stared at them in curiosity. Jeno didn’t fail to notice the slight bruise on his friend’s cheek nor the subtle glint of yellow in his iris when his eyes landed on Mark.

 

“Some things that we need to fill you in on later now that you’re with us,” Mark stated, sighing before looking at Donghyuck. “Jaemin let the others know about Jeno.”

“This is it. The end,” Donghyuck stated in a very positive tone that bewildered Jeno to no end for the statement was one of the most pessimistic things he had ever heard. “Thanks a lot, _beta_.”

“Shut up, _omega_ ,” Jaemin fired back, glaring at Donghyuck who gladly glared back. “I don’t _care_ if my leader is your mate, I’m still second in charge here. So if I say it’s no big deal, then it really is _no big deal_.”

“Please, your ‘no big deals’ are usually what get half of us killed!” Donghyuck shouted and Jeno noticed Jaemin flinch before Jaemin hardened his glare and walked right up to Donghyuck, peering down on him with his taller stature.

“Jaemin, _control_ ,” Mark warned and Jeno couldn’t help the worry that was slowly settling in his core as he watched Jaemin’s hand fly up to loosely cup itself around Donghyuck’s neck. As quick as he could, Jeno pushed Mark aside and forcibly pried Jaemin’s hand off the other, not really requiring to use much effort since Jaemin’s grip had been so _loose_.

“I don’t think that’s how you should handle this, Jaemin,” He whispered, shakily glancing between Jaemin and Donghyuck, afraid that one of them would pull a similar stunt but all he received was Jaemin scoffing and holding his hand out to him. Confused, Jeno simply stared at the other’s hand before looking back at the other.

 

“My jacket. You’re still wearing it.”

 

Gasping in realisation and apologising numerous times, Jeno hurriedly stripped himself from Jaemin’s jacket, politely giving it to the other who smiled slightly at him when he had received it.

 

“I’ll be back in three days for the transformation with fresh meat,” Jaemin stated, casually wearing the jacket as if he hadn’t had his hand around Donghyuck’s throat a minute prior. “I’ll scout the area.”

“That’s too dangerous and you know it,” Donghyuck cut in, disapproval on his face as Mark nodded.

“At least take Jisung with you,” Mark compromised as Jaemin shook his head rapidly.

“He has to take care of the other human. Chenle, was it?” Jeno found himself nodding to answer the question. “Jeno, you’re going to have to stay here for a while. It’s too dangerous to go back to your shop now that they know you were with me.”

“Um…okay?” He answered, finding himself becoming more and more confused since there were too many things happening at once.

“Jaemin.” He heard Renjun say quietly, his voice hoarse after not being used for so long. “Be careful. The memories Mark showed me with you in them…you’re always being reckless and-“

“I’m not going to do anything that will get me killed,” Jaemin said in what was probably meant to be a reassuring but Jeno caught Renjun’s look of disapproval before Jaemin chuckled and stuffed his feet in his shoes once more. “And this lot of meat isn’t Renjun’s, Hyuck. It’s mine for when I get back,” Jaemin stated, handing the paper bag to Donghyuck who sighed but took the bag regardless.

“Figures. You’re the only one who likes human meat and eats it after your first transformation,” Donghyuck commented before making a shooing motion with his hands and leading Renjun further into the apartment, probably to the couch in the living room just past the wall.

“I’m sending Felix and Seungmin to meet up with you,” Mark stated with finality, glaring at Jaemin when his mouth opened and taking out his phone. “They’ll meet you at the bridge.”

“Then I just won’t go there,” Jaemin replied cheerily, hand on the doorknob as Mark glared at the younger.

“If you don’t go there, they will track you down. Your scent is the most distinct out of all of us,” Mark replied flatly, causing Jaemin to roll his eyes and slip out the door, leaving Jeno stranded in the hallway with Mark who smiled wryly at him. “Sorry to get you into this mess…it’s quite complicated.”

“Yeah…I…I can tell,” He replied, standing as still as he could since Mark seemed to be intimidating but obediently followed the older when Mark told him to follow. He found himself standing in front of the couch as Renjun sat, hugging one of the couch pillows.

 

“Donghyuck went to the kitchen to put the meat in the fridge,” Renjun said while looking at Mark, a ring of yellow flashing slightly causing Jeno to wonder why that never happened with the others. “And uh…hi, Jeno.”

“Hi, Renjun,” He replied, smiling at his friend warmly since Renjun seemed to be quite distraught at that moment. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m alright…you know, the usual,” Renjun replied before Mark cleared his throat and gestured for Jeno to sit - which he complied to, leaning on the couch next to Renjun as Mark sighed and massaged his temples once more.

“In three days, Renjun’s going to have his first transformation,” Mark mumbled to himself just as Donghyuck entered the room, glancing at him and Renjun before speaking.

“I can go with Jisung the day before for the meat,” Donghyuck said, determination in his eyes as Mark looked at him warily. “They wouldn’t touch me as long as you scent me.”

“It’s still dangerous,” Mark pointed out and Jeno felt like he was watching some cheesy romance movie before Renjun cleared his throat.

“Will it hurt?” The question came out quiet, sounding fragile with Renjun’s voice and not at all resembling the careful and feisty friend that he knew.

“No, it won’t but…” Donghyuck trailed off, concern swirling in his orbs when he looked at Jeno. “You’ll go after human meat.”

“It’s too dangerous to do it anywhere but the apartment,” Mark stated, shaking his head. “If we go to the woods, the others will find us - find you, Renjun - and that will be more trouble than its worth. The woods are too close to the city so you might go on a whole rampage and eat the civilians. We _could_ drive you out to the countryside but its too vast and it seems like you’ll be the fastest on our team…so that’s out.”

“But…Jeno and Chenle are human…” Renjun muttered, panic reflecting in his orbs was Jeno slowly came to the realisation that he could possibly _die_ at the hands of Huang Renjun in as little as three days.

“They can’t go out without one of us, it’s too dangerous, hyung,” Donghyuck stated and Mark nodded, deep in thought as he stood - as still a statue - and contemplated his choices.

“We all need to be here when he transforms though, we don’t know how strong or fast he is,” Mark stated, sighing heavily before looking at Donghyuck. “We might have to send them to Hyunjin’s side.”

“Hyunjin’s side? Hyung, are you _crazy_?!” Donghyuck exclaimed, scoffing and causing Jeno to feel obliged to look away. “You _know_ what they’re like around humans!”

“Well we don’t have a choice now, do we?!” He flinched when Mark raised his voice, the older glaring at Donghyuck who seemed like he wouldn’t back down any time soon. “They wouldn’t dare to touch him if they knew he was Jaemin’s.”

“This…This is risky,” Donghyuck stated, glancing at him again before sighing and exiting the lounge. Jeno saw him enter one of the bedrooms and heard a surprised _‘oh, Donghyuck-hyung, Chenle’s asleep still’_ who sounded a lot like Jisung.

“I’m sorry but…it’s too dangerous for you and Chenle to be here,” Mark said to him and he nodded along, knowing that Mark knew what he was talking about since Jeno didn’t. “There’s probably some things you guys need to know. Jeno, especially.”

“You think?” Renjun asked as Jeno opted to just stare at Mark while waiting for his long deserved explanations.

 

“Yeah um…the people or person you bumped into, Jeno…they’re a bad pack,” Mark started, sitting down on the floor and stretching his legs. “They kidnap humans for when the full moon comes out and feast on them in their wolf forms. I can’t even imagine what would drive them to do that.”

“Why?” He asked, swallowing thickly as Mark stared up at him, having an internal debate about what he should say.

“Human meat…it makes our abilities stronger. Sure, venison and beef are nice but human meat lets us use our abilities to the max. The more frequently you eat it, the stronger you become,” Mark informed, fidgeting uncomfortably before sighing. “Jaemin eats it the most out of all of us. He says he does it because he wants to be stronger than the average beta but…I think he does it because it pisses Donghyuck off.”

“He seems to like doing that a lot,” Renjun commented, blinking owlishly as Mark chuckled.

“Yeah…it’s because the first thing Donghyuck did when he came into the pack was insult Jaemin for being the second in command. Usually, packs choose a beta who seems more like an alpha or even another alpha…”

“Why did you choose him then?” Renjun asked, raising Jeno’s suspicion about him knowing more about Jaemin than he did. “I mean, if typically a stronger beta or alpha is chosen-“

“He saved my life,” Mark simply stated, shrugging at the end of his sentence when Renjun tilted his head. “That’s all there is to it. I trust Jaemin with my life which means that I trust him with my pack.”

“That doesn’t sound very strategic-“

“It’s not meant to, Renjun,” Mark interrupted, smiling softly at them before continuing. “Sure, you can have a strong alpha as the leader and an equally as strong beta as your right hand man but then what about the rest of your pack? They’d idolise you and rely on you too much that it’ll get them killed. But if your pack trusts one another and relies on _each other_ , everyone has an increased chance of surviving whatever comes your way.”

“That’s…that’s smart,” Jeno commented, nodding his head as Mark chuckled and wiggled his toes a bit for fun.

“It’s the reason why we’ve lasted this long,” Mark replied before smiling and looking past them at something or someone. “Hey, how was your sleep?”

“Could have been better,” The mystery person replied and Jeno let out a breath in relief when he recognised it to be Chenle’s voice. “Now I’m just hungry.”

“Food is being prepared!” He heard Donghyuck shout from the kitchen as Mark gave them another smile before he stood up.

“I’ll let you three catch up with each other. I have some things I need to talk to my wolves about,” Mark informed them and Jeno found himself nodding back in response, the older nodding back in reply and exiting to the hallway where the bedrooms were - probably to find Jisung.

 

“So uh…why are we here?”

 

_Honestly Chenle…I don’t even know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically, the reason why this story took so long to update was because:
> 
> 1) My editor who has been editing my stories since before I started this account has decided to focus on their university work since they are graduating this year. I am very grateful to my editor and I thank them so much for all of the hard work they have done in editing my stories and directing the flow of plot as well as helping me develop my writing style. They are truly like my older sibling and even though have told me to keep this departure between us, I felt the need to let my readers know for without them, I wouldn't be delivering this quality of writing (so first, let's all say "thank you editor" - THANK YOU EDITOR EVEN THOUGH YOU TOLD ME NOT TO SAY THIS)  
> 2) I have been going around to everyone I know and so far I have some people editing each story of mine but they have no intention to keep doing this long term.
> 
> Which brings me to my next point: Do I need an editor?
> 
> The short answer is yes. Yes, I need one for I am actually very insecure about my writing and plot lines and often also forget due dates which lead to the lack of updates. So what is the point of me complaining?
> 
> Well....after talking with everyone I know irl, I have decided that everyone I know are currently in major milestones of their education and careers (wow that makes me sound old even when I'm not an adult...yet). So, if there are any kind souls out there who are not that busy and would like to become my editor, feel free to message me on Tumblr (@seachelle623) so we can talk about it. However, please keep in mind that becoming my editor means that you must have read all of my current ongoing stories and series (since it can become a hassle to keep track of who edits what story). So uh...yeah, if you want, message me. 
> 
> Also, this will be going on my other stories as well as soon as I update them so if it seems like a 'first come, first serve' kind of thing, it might not be since I would like to get to know a few people and see who I get along with the most before appointing an editor who would have to deal with crazy ideas and texts at random times. But if you aren't okay with any of that, you can just not message me and continue reading the story when it updates. ^_^
> 
> KEEP SMILING EVERYONE


	5. Violation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Chenle, wear this,” Jisung stated, looking away slightly as Chenle took the jacket off his hands and put it on wordlessly, oddly confused.
> 
> “Wait, what about me?” he asked, panic filling his being since he had given Jaemin his jacket back earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chappie~ Hope you all enjoy ^_^

“Impossible…we _killed_ him.”

“Mauled is a more appropriate term, you know.”

“But… _Mark Lee_ …of _course_ he saves the human. _Of fucking course_.”

“Yeah, their pack is a refuge for the turned.”

“They can’t have him. When he turns-“

“He’ll remember everything, we know. Some of us have been there too.”

“We have to get him back.”

“Won’t be easy. Remember Jaemin’s warning?”

“Couldn’t care less about that Na kid. Get the pack ready. We move in ten minutes.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

 

~

 

“Here’s the plan,” Mark stated, staring at all of them in the living area of the apartment - Jaemin hadn’t come back yet and Donghyuck had told Jeno that it would be a few days before he did. “While Felix and Seungmin are tracking down Jaemin, Jeno and Chenle will go to stay with Hyunjin. Han should be on patrol right now buthe’ll take care of you guys too when he gets back.”

“This is risky,” Donghyuck piped up, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the older. “Without Jaemin, we won’t stand a chance against them! _Jaemin_ was the one who scared them off!”

“Look, whether we stand a chance or not doesn’t matter,” Mark replied calmly, the older locking eyes with Jeno before he slid them over to Chenle. “It’s about getting the two humans out of this.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Renjun said softly, his head down and staring at the apartment’s floor. “I…If only I wasn’t-“

“Renjun-hyung, don’t apologise,” Jisung cut the other off, his large eyes holding emotions that Jeno couldn’t name. “We’ve all gone through the same thing, save for Mark-hyung.”

“Don’t,” Mark warned, narrowing his eyes and even Jeno could taste the tension that hung in the air. “I am not better than you are - remember that, Jisung.”

“Full breeds are stronger than us who were turned,” Jisung stated and even Donghyuck looked away at the statement. “You know that.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m better,” Mark replied, his expression stern before he sighed. “Hyunjin should be here soon. Jeno, Chenle. You two have to be _super_ careful.”

“Um…how careful?” He heard Chenle ask, fear laced into his words as he looked up at Mark who was smiling softly at him.

“ _Very_ but we’ll put things into place,” Mark stated, turning to Jisung who sighed and took off his jacket.

“Chenle, wear this,” Jisung stated, looking away slightly as Chenle took the jacket off his hands and put it on wordlessly, oddly confused.

“Wait, what about me?” he asked, panic filling his being since he had given Jaemin his jacket back earlier.

“They know you’re Jaemin’s,” Donghyuck stated, giving him a reassuring smile. “You should be fine. They wouldn’t dare to touch you.”

 

_But they already did…_

 

The doorbell ringing cut their little meeting short and Donghyuck opened the door to reveal a very concerned male who had large eyes and an annoyingly handsome face.

 

“Where are they?” the mystery man asked, Donghyuck stepping aside to let him in and gesturing to where Jeno and Chenle sat as he closed the door. “Oh man. We’re fucked.”

“We _know_ ,” Donghyuck replied bitterly, heading back over to the couch and sitting next to Jisung on the arm of the couch. “Jaemin’s an idiot, what’s new?”

“No like…there’s _two_. I don’t think we’ll get there safely,” the other stated, biting his bottom lip in worry and Mark sighed.

“I’ll go with you and come back.” Jeno watched Mark stand up and walke over to the newcomer, whispering something in his ear before turning back to them. “Jeno, Chenle, meet Hyunjin.”

“Hi,” the other male - Hyunjin - greeted, waving shyly before flinching and turning towards the window. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Jeno couldn’t resist asking as Mark nodded and walked to the window to peer out of it. “Fuck, they’re close.”

“Uh, were they followed?” Hyunjin asked, locking his eyes with Jeno soon after. “Were you followed?”

“I don’t think so,” he answered honestly, worry filling his being but dissipating when the door opened to reveal a very dishevelled Jaemin with a torn jacket.

 

“Hyung, they crossed the border and violated the rules,” Jaemin stated, his eyes full of panic as a few leaves fell from his hair. “They’ll be here soon. Felix and Seungmin are trying to fend them off.”

“Shit,” Mark hissed, shaking his head and immediately, running towards the door. “Protect them as best you can!”

“What another fucking idiot.” He heard Donghyuck mumble, the other sighing soon after before his body was gracefully bending and what was left in his spot was a wolf on top of Donghyuck’s clothes - one that was slightly smaller than Jaemin’s one. The wolf had a yellow streak near the back of its neck and Jeno had to remind himself that it was simply Donghyuck and no one else.

 

However, that didn’t stop him from staring at the wolf as if he had never seen one before.

 

Thankfully, Donghyuck snapped him out of his stupor when he came closer and pressed his nose against Jeno’s knee in reassurance that it was him.

 

“Jeno, we _have_ to go!” He heard Jaemin shout and looked up to see that everyone had already exited the apartment. Swallowing thickly, Jeno nodded and followed Jaemin out of the apartment, Donghyuck trailing behind on all fours, his clothes hanging out of his mouth.

 

They were barely three blocks from the apartment when they were confronted by three men who seemed to have been waiting for them.

 

“Oh shit.” He heard Renjun mumble and immediately stepped in front of his best friend in a protective manner, keeping a mental tab on how far away Chenle was. As if on cue, Hyunjin and Jisung’s bodies curled in on themselves, bones silent as they bent into the shape of a wolf with their clothes sliding off.

“Go back to your side of the border.” Jeno had never heard Jaemin use such a demanding tone before. “This is for the sake of peace.”

“Last I checked, there was no peace,” one of the other men stated, his face hidden behind a mask as the other two with him transformed into wolves as well - their cracking bones echoing in the silence of the night. “You have something of ours.”

“We have _nothing_ of yours,” Jaemin hissed out, his hand twitching as one of the wolves - Jeno thought it was Hyunjin based on the pile of clothes it was near - moved in front of Renjun. “Go back to your territory!”

“We want to propose a negotiation,” the stranger said, one of the wolves growling when Jisung - at least he thought it was Jisung - had attempted to step forward. “Hand over what’s ours and we will give you back what’s yours.”

“You have nothing that belongs to us,” Jaemin stated, his hands clenched as the stranger chuckled.

“I would rethink that, if-“

 

It was dark but the sure outline of a wolf emerging from behind the stranger and pinning him to the ground was too precise for it to have been a mere vision. Immediately, the other two wolves pounced on the first one, their jaws snapping but missing their target. Jeno’s front row view to the fiasco was interrupted when Jaemin had looked back at them, smiling in reassurance before his body was curling in on itself and taking the shape of the wolf that Jeno had seen many times before. Jaemin’s wolf ran towards the fight, effectively pulling the two wolves who had joined the fight late out, leaving one wolf on top of the stranger’s chest. One of the wolves that Jaemin had pulled by the tail whined and Jeno swore that he saw Jaemin roll his eyes before the other’s tail slapped the other wolf in the face.

 

“ _Mark Lee_ ,” the stranger hissed and the wolf on top of him growled, his eyes narrowing and burning a bright yellow. “Ok guys, plan B!” the stranger shouted and suddenly, a circle of wolves surrounded them, red markings near their eyes. Jeno watched in shock as the stranger pushed Mark off him, standing up and brushing his clothes off. He heard Jaemin’s wolf growl at the ones that were surrounding them and noticed Jaemin walking backwards until his form was protectively in front of him. To his side, he noticed that Jisung had done the same to Chenle, however, the younger hadn’t growled. He heard Donghyuck bark from behind him, saw Hyunjin’s tail sweep the floor as the other kept his gaze steady - seemingly waiting for the others to attack.

 

“No plan B will be taking place.”

 

The voice held authority and soon, a man who was no taller than Jeno himself was walking towards them. His hair was dark, his eyes were large but even Jeno could tell that he held power over everyone else gathered around him. From behind him, he heard one of the wolves whine and turned back in time to see Mark in his wolf form rolling his eyes and sitting down like a dog, seemingly yawning as the other male came closer.

 

“Go back to your territory,” the newcomer demanded and the masked stranger put up his hands in surrender before walking backwards past Mark and turning the corner. It seemed that the remaining wolves were confused for they hesitated for a while before they too disappeared into the darkness of the night.

“I had it under control.” Mark’s sudden voice shocked him and turned to see the older fully dressed and adjusting his shirt.

“You call _that_ having it ‘under control’?” Jeno watched as the newcomer scoffed and walked up to Mark, his eyes cold. “Mark Lee, I did not let you make your own pack just to have it-“

“Give him a break, hyung,” Jaemin whined, pulling his shirt over his head soon after. “He did the best he could.”

“ _You_ are half of the problem!” Jeno saw Jaemin roll his eyes with Mark. “To think that you actually chose _this_ idiot as your second-in-command makes me question your blood, Mark Lee.”

“Hyung, we have been through this - Jaemin is just as valuable as a full breed,” Mark replied calmly, the others still in their wolf forms and either lying on the ground or walking towards them to make sure they were okay. Jeno hesitantly patted one wolf but received a warning growl in return, immediately retracting his hand and concluding that it must have been Jisung.

“ _This_ is why I told you to make Hyunjin your second-in-command,” the newcomer sighed out, hand massaging his forehead and Jaemin’s lips tightened.

“With all due respect, Taeyong-hyung,” Hyunjin started, one leg in his jeans as he stared at the one who he now knew was called ‘Taeyong’. “I have no interest in being second-in-command. I think Jaemin fits the role much more.”

“Damn right, I do.” He heard Jaemin mumble and couldn’t help but chuckle at the other’s comment. It seemed that Jaemin had heard him for he turned and was staring at Jeno curiously, his eyes scanning his body and face as if Jaemin was dissecting him piece by piece.

“Um…are you okay?” he asked and Jaemin flinched, his hair bouncing as he shook his head and took one of Jeno’s hands into his own.

“I’m glad you’re not hurt,” Jaemin whispered and Jeno vaguely registered Renjun pretending to vomit in the background as his cheeks flared up.

“Well, you know _what_ , hyung?” Mark screamed, anger overtaking his face as Donghyuck - still in his wolf form - hurriedly ran between he two as some sort of gate to separate them. “ _Maybe_ , we don’t _need_ your help! _Maybe_ , we’ve been doing fine for _years_ and we’ll all figure this out! _Maybe_ -“

“If you think that I’m going to abandon you, Mark Lee, you are very wrong,” Taeyong interrupted, causing Mark to splutter even more before he screamed in frustration and glared at Taeyong. “I am not like our parents.”

“Well right now, you might as well be!” Mark retorted, hands in fists by his sides as he glared even more harshly at Taeyong. “I don’t _care_ about our blood nor do I care about contributing to whatever the fuck they’re doing! I don’t want to even make a name for myself unlike you! I just want my pack to live a peaceful life and _you_ out of all people cannot tell me what to do! So just _fuck off_ , hyung!”

 

Jeno saw the shock and hurt that flashed across Taeyong’s face before the other sighed and carefully stepped over Donghyuck to wrap his arms around Mark who squirmed.

 

“You don’t mean that and you know it.” He heard Taeyong whisper and for once, they were all quiet as they started at the two. Oddly, Jeno felt that everything would turn out alright as he saw Mark give up and melt into the hug, tears beginning to stain Taeyong’s shoulder.

“I don’t know what to do, hyung…” Mark mumbled and Jeno saw Taeyong sigh and hold Mark even tighter.

“It’s okay, we’ll figure this out together.” Jeno smiled at Taeyong’s response, feeling Jaemin squeeze his hand in comfort and didn’t hesitate in squeezing back.

“Um…not to break the moment or anything but…” Renjun started, his back to Taeyong and Mark as he stared at something in the distance that Jeno couldn’t see. “What the _fuck_ is that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a new editor~~ They're currently catching up on everything I wrote so it'll be a while before you get a ton of updates. I will try to update more frequently though!!

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own NCT Dream or even NCT in general. I only own the plot. All credit goes to rightful owners.


End file.
